Chapter 49: Ye Chen Awakens

Jianghuai City Armed Police Hospital.

Mouse and Shrimp had waited through the night, but as dawn broke, Ye Chen showed no sign of waking. The two paced anxiously, repeatedly dragging Qian Wanke to the scene, yet he could only shrug helplessly. The patient’s vitals were all normal, and the lungs showed no signs of dysfunction.

“Oh, will you two please calm down? The patient’s condition is stable, and there’s no sign of infection in the lungs. He’ll wake up within two hours,” Qian Wanke sighed. His work had been interrupted several times by these two. If Ye Chen didn’t wake soon, he suspected they might tear the hospital apart. He quickly tried to reassure them. “Just sit a bit longer.”

“Sit? We’ve been sitting all night!” Mouse snapped, glaring at Qian Wanke. “If we keep sitting, we’ll turn to stone. No, you have to wake my big brother up now, or you and I are not done!”

Cough, cough...

As the argument raged, Ye Chen suddenly coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of black blood. Startled, Shrimp rushed to help Ye Chen, whose eyes slowly opened. “Big brother, are you alright?” he asked with concern.

“I’m fine,” Ye Chen replied, shaking his head. “Why am I in the hospital?”

“Oh, big brother, you were shot!” Mouse exclaimed, relieved to see Ye Chen awake. He hurried over, crying out, “You slept for a whole day and night! How are you feeling now? Any better?”

Ye Chen paused, memories of the opening day at Jiangnan No. 1 flooding back. He nodded and quickly asked, “What happened to the assassin?”

“Oh, I took care of him!” Mouse grinned. “He had some skills, but not enough. I dealt with him in a couple moves.”

“Why didn’t you catch him alive?” Ye Chen frowned.

“What’s the point? Someone like that isn’t worth keeping alive,” Mouse shook his head. “Better to finish him off. That guy dared to target you, big brother—he’s lucky I didn’t skin him alive.”

“How’s President Li? She wasn’t hurt, right?” Ye Chen asked urgently. In truth, he was very worried about Li Ruo, and he wasn’t sure if there was only one assassin. If others were hiding, Li Ruo could still be in danger.

Shrimp glanced at Ye Chen with disapproval. “She’s fine, big brother. But did you really need to take a bullet for her? You’re worth far more than she is!”

“Exactly! If something happened to you, what would Shrimp and I do?” Mouse echoed, equally unhappy.

“Nonsense!” Ye Chen shot them a glare, wiping away the blood at his lips. “President Li is the CEO of Horizon Group, worth hundreds of millions. Who are we, compared to her?”

The sound of footsteps echoed...

Ye Chen’s awakening prompted Qian Wanke to quickly summon nurses for a re-examination. They and his assistants crowded in, meticulously checking the monitors and discussing the results. Their conclusion: Ye Chen was fine, only needing physical recovery.

“Mr. Ye, congratulations!” Qian Wanke, though unsure of Ye Chen’s relationship with Zhang Yantong, knew that Zhang’s father was the provincial party secretary, so he treated Ye Chen with extra respect.

“Thank you, doctor,” Ye Chen replied with a smile.

Li Ruo and Zhang Yantong almost simultaneously received news of Ye Chen’s awakening. Li Ruo dropped everything and rushed to the Armed Police Hospital, feeling deeply guilty that Ye Chen had been injured for her sake. With Lin Ziwen and Deputy Captain Jin and several bodyguards in tow, she hurried to the hospital.

Zhang Yantong was on patrol when Qian Wanke notified her first. Without hesitation, she turned her police car toward the hospital, driving so fast that Fang Qin beside her was amazed—when had Captain Zhang ever cared so much about a man?

Li Ruo’s Lincoln stopped right at the hospital entrance. Jin Guoyou quickly ordered the trailing bodyguards to be vigilant, knowing it was a critical time and Li Ruo’s safety was paramount. If anything happened to her, he’d be finished. Li Ruo stepped out, wasting not a second, and went straight to the elevator, heading for the ward where Ye Chen lay.

Ye Chen was propped up in bed, hearing the distant click of high heels—a sound he recognized as Li Ruo’s approach. He fixed his gaze on the door as she entered, her eyes filled with worry and anxiety. Ye Chen was taken aback, surprised that Li Ruo cared so much; his heart stirred briefly before he regained composure.

“President Li, you’re here?” Ye Chen greeted her with a smile, blood still staining his teeth, making the smile unsettling.

“You... you’re awake!” Li Ruo, unsure what to say, could only utter such bland words. She glanced around, spotting Qian Wanke, and hurried over. “Director Qian, how is the patient?”

Qian Wanke, filling out Ye Chen’s chart, looked up. “Don’t worry, President Li. Mr. Ye is fine. Everything’s normal. As long as he stays in the hospital for observation, he can be discharged soon. The bullet didn’t remain in his body, so it’s not serious.”

“That’s good.” Li Ruo breathed a sigh of relief and sat by Ye Chen’s bed, focusing on him. “Just rest and recover.”

“Heh, honestly, I don’t even need to recover,” Ye Chen grinned. “With President Li caring for me, half my wounds are already healed!”

Li Ruo’s cheeks flushed, though inwardly she scoffed. This guy was all sweet talk, but who knew what he was really thinking? A breeze wafted in, tousling her long hair. With her pinky, she smoothed the stray locks from her forehead—a gesture so pure that Ye Chen was transfixed, thinking she was like a lily in a secluded valley.

“Idiot, what are you staring at?” Li Ruo shot him a glare.

“Heh,” Ye Chen blushed. “President Li, you’re so beautiful.”

At once, all the light drained from Li Ruo’s face. Any fondness she’d felt for Ye Chen evaporated with those words. In her view, every man was stirred by beauty, and flattery was merely groundwork for something more. To her, a man’s words were always meant to coax a woman into bed. She looked at Ye Chen coldly, seeing no difference between him and any slick, scheming man.

“Hmph!” Li Ruo snorted. “Since you’re injured, stay in the hospital a while longer. The company will cover your medical bills—you don’t have to worry about the cost!”

“Uh...” Ye Chen was stunned. Just moments ago, she was warm and radiant as a blooming flower—now she was cold as ice. Damn, were women’s feelings really so hard to guess? Ye Chen was speechless, awkwardly replying, “Thank you, President Li.”

“Alright, focus on your recovery. I’m heading back to the company.” Li Ruo turned away, her mind swirling with thoughts. As she left, tears slipped from her eyes. That phrase—why did it sound so familiar? Had she not yet forgotten that painful memory?

Ah Ruo, you really are beautiful!

Those words were forever her secret pain—a constant reminder of betrayal. She would never forget it. Since returning from America, she’d tried to forget everything, burying memories deep, determined never to recall them. Yet Ye Chen’s words had ripped open that seal, flooding her heart with sorrow.

Li Ruo’s footsteps hurried away. Ye Chen listened, puzzled, sensing something was wrong in her gait. He couldn’t understand why Li Ruo’s demeanor had changed so abruptly.

Not long after Li Ruo left, Zhang Yantong rushed in.

“You’re awake?” Zhang Yantong beamed at Ye Chen. She’d already checked with Qian Wanke and knew Ye Chen was out of danger, just needing to recuperate. Carrying a fruit basket, she placed it on the table, smiling. “Looks like you’re not very popular—no one’s brought you gifts. I’m the first!”

“Who says so?” Ye Chen smiled, looking at her. “Within a minute, someone else will come visit me!”

“Tch, bragging!” Zhang Yantong scoffed, not believing him. If someone was coming, they’d be here already. Besides, Ye Chen was right in front of her—how could he know who was coming in a minute? Was he some kind of fortune teller? She paid his words no mind.

Yet the next moment, Zhang Yantong’s mouth dropped open, forming a perfect ‘O’. Ye Chen waved to Mouse. “Mouse, open the door. My visitors are here.”

“Got it!” Mouse jumped from his seat and swung the door open.